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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Stonewall: Is Congress Stonewalling? / Terrorism Against Hispanics

Stonewall: Is Congress Stonewalling?

Forty years ago today the GLBT community in New York City helped propel the rights of GLBT to the forefront. Yes, this community has come a long way, but oddly the man behind the curtain still hasn't produced all the goods for Dorothy's Friends.

What do I mean? Now that we have a Congress controlled by Democrats and a president who vowed to help the community gain equal protection under the Constitution, the very leaders who claimed they would help this community are stonewalling. If not now, when? Certainly, the Other Party is not going to do anything to help this community, but that doesn't mean that Democrats can count on individuals to sit complacently and simply be ignored and be told figuratively to go to the back of the bus, similar to what Rosa Parks was told in the 1960s. These days have passed. Individuals want action and are fed up with platitudes of empty promises. Dorothy's Friends not only want to send Dorothy back to Kansas, they also want their just rights and the Man Behind the Curtain can no longer hide.

So, Mr. President and Congress, the GLBT community is waiting. If not now, when?

Terrorism Against Hispanics:

I was extremely troubled by the article in the New York Times this morning about the shooting and killing of innocent people in Arizona by terrorists---Yes, that's right, Americans acting on behalf of the Minutemen American Defense entered a home in Arivaca, Arizona and opened fire and killed a father and his daughter in cold blood for the terrorists believed they were in the USA illegally.

Fortunately, a woman by the name of Gina Gonzalez survived the incident but only because she used her dead husband's gun to defend herself. This is truly sad.

Regardless of whether an individual is in the USA legally or illegally does not give anyone the right to enter a home and kill anyone. Americans who do not believe that Hispanics (legal Americans and many here illegally) are being terrorized are not being honest and do not know what is happening in this country.

How is this any different from Nazis entered Jewish homes in Nazi Germany and killing Jews for no other reason than for being Jews?

How is this any different from American terrorists killing gays/lesbians for no other reason than because they are gay/lesbian?

How is this any different from American terrorists who lynched Blacks?

Where is the statement from President Obama or Congress condemning the actions by the Minutemen American Defense and groups who practice such actions?

Mr. President and Congress, Americans (regardless of our ethnicity) are calling upon you to speak out against this kind of American terrorism for no one, be they American citizens, residents/visitors (legal or illegal) should be attacked or killed for simply being who he/she is.

Therefore, I call upon individuals to call the White House (202.456.1111) and their respective Congressional representatives on Monday to ask that they condemn this horrific action.